Improvement in thill-couplimgs



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y Thin-coupling Patented April 6,187.5.

CLARK ROBINSON, OF EAU CLAIRE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH HIS RIGHT TO CHARLES DESILETS, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN THlLL-COUPLINGS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. IGLSQG, dated April 6, 1875 application filed January 23, 1875.

To all whom ttmay concern:

Beit known thatI, CLARK ROBINSON, of Eau Claire, in the county of Eau Claire and in the State ot' Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in rlongue and Thill Couplings to W'agons and Buggies; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view ot' the upper side of my improved coupling. Fig. 2 is a like view of the lower side of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective of the parts composing said coupling, separated from each other; and Fig. 4 is a horizontal central section of said parts as combined.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the ligures.

Ihe design of this invention is to increase the strength and eliiciency of a shaft-coupling, to render its accidental detachment impracticable, and at the same time enable the separation of parts easy when desired, to which end it consists, principally, in the means employed for inclosing the open end of the socket, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified.

It consists further in the means employed for locking in position the detachable socket end, substantially as is hereinafter shown.

It consists farther in the means employed for covering the radial slot in the socket, through which the thill-irou passes, substantially as is hereinafter shown and described.

It consists, iinally, in the device as a whole, its several parts being constructed and combined to operate in the manner and for the purpose hereinafter specified.

In the annexed drawing, A represents the socket of my coupling7 which has the form ot' a hollow cylinder, is open at one end, and at its upper side is provided with a longitudinal slot, a, through which the neck b of the thilliron B passes. The thill-iron B is provided with a head, b', which corresponds to and is itted within the socket A by being passed endwise into the same. The slot a has such lateral dimensions as to afford to said thill-iron the required motion upon its head or pivotal bearing. The open end of the socket A is inclosed by means of a detachable cover, C, which is provided with a ange, c, that lits over a reduced portion, a', of the exterior ot' said socket, and is held in place by means ot two lugs, c and o', that extend radially inward from said flange and engage with a groove, a, which is formed within said socket end. From the groove a, at a point directly opposite to the slot a, is provided a notch, a", through which one of the lugs c' may pass into or from said groove, while the opposite lug passes inward through said slot until in position to engage with said groove. As thus arranged the thill-ironhead b is placed within the socket A, and the cap C then placed upon the end of the latter and turned until its lugs have engaged with their groove. In order that the cap C may be prevented from becoming accidentally detached, its periphery'is made six or eight square, and a liat spring, D, secured upon the lower side ot' thel socket A in such a position as to cause its free end to bear upon the lower face of said cap with suflicient force to prevent the latter from moving, except when turned with a wrenclnin which case said spring yields in the same manner as a spring-pawl.

A rubber disk, E, is placed within a recess between each end of the head b and the ends ot the socket A, and when the cover C is placed in position, are suiciently compressed to prevent all jar or rattle of parts. To prevent dust and'dirt from entering the slot a, a ange, b, is secured to each side ot' the neck b, and projecting later-all y outward in a curved line, which is concentric with the pivotal center ot' the thill-iron, bears lightly upon the periphery ot' the socket A, and forms a sliding cover for said slot.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits of my invention, what I claim as new 1sl. In combination with the socket A, provided with the neck a', groove a, and notches a, the cover C, having the llange c, and lugs c and c', substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with the cover C, having the periphery formed ot' a series of plane faces, the spring l) attached to the socket A and pressed against said faces, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination with the'thilLiron B and the slot a, of the socket A, the concentric flanges secured to the neck b to inelose said slot, substan ti ally as and for the purpose shown and described.

4. The combination of socket A, having slot a, neck a', groove a, and noteh a, the thilliron B, provided with neek b, head b', and flanges b and b, the cover C, having flange c and lugs o c', the spring' D, and the rubber disks E and E, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal this LIth day of December, 1874.

CLARK ROBINSON.

IVitnesses C. S. SEELY, J. RAMSEY. 

